Patricia Verdugo
Encyclopedia
Patricia del Cármen Verdugo Aguirre (November 30, 1947 - January 13, 2008) was a Chile
an journalist
, writer
and human rights
activist. She focused much of her investigative reporting on the human rights abuses committed by the military dictatorship
of Augusto Pinochet
.
in journalism
from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
.
outlets beginning in 1969. Her magazine employers included Hoy and Apsi.
Though she continued to work in magazines, Verdugo ultimately became well known for her books, many of which focused on human rights abuses during the military regime of Gen. Pinochet, which lasted from 1973 until 1990. Verdugo's own father was killed by the Chilean secret police
in 1976. Through her work and investiagtive reporting, Verdugo became one of Pinochet's harshest critics.
Her most well known book, Los Zarpazos del Puma (Clawings of the Puma, was published in 1985, while Pinochet was still in power. The book recounts the extrajudicial murders of more than 70 members of the Chilean opposition
between the months of October to November in 1973, shortly after Pinochet took power. The killings were carried out by a Chilean military unit called the "caravan of death
," which was tasked with killing political prisoner
s and other "enemies" of Pinochet.
Los Zarpazos del Puma was banned by the Pinochet government when it was first released. However, black market copies were widely sold on the streets of major cities, such as Santiago
, despite the ban. The book became, perhaps, the most widely read in Chile's history.
Nearly all of the claims that Verdugo put forth in Los Zarpazos del Puma was later verified as factual and correct as the result of an investigation by Chilean Judge Juan Guzman
, who prosecuted Augusto Pinochet for the murder of opponents.
on January 13, 2008, at Catholic University Hospital in Santiago, Chile
.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist. She focused much of her investigative reporting on the human rights abuses committed by the military dictatorship
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
of Augusto Pinochet
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
.
Early life
Verdugo was born in 1947. She earned her bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile is one of the six Catholic Universities existing in the Chilean university system and one of the two Pontifical Universities in the country, along with the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. It is also one of Chile's oldest universities and...
.
Career
She began working for a number of well known Chilean mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
outlets beginning in 1969. Her magazine employers included Hoy and Apsi.
Though she continued to work in magazines, Verdugo ultimately became well known for her books, many of which focused on human rights abuses during the military regime of Gen. Pinochet, which lasted from 1973 until 1990. Verdugo's own father was killed by the Chilean secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
in 1976. Through her work and investiagtive reporting, Verdugo became one of Pinochet's harshest critics.
Her most well known book, Los Zarpazos del Puma (Clawings of the Puma, was published in 1985, while Pinochet was still in power. The book recounts the extrajudicial murders of more than 70 members of the Chilean opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
between the months of October to November in 1973, shortly after Pinochet took power. The killings were carried out by a Chilean military unit called the "caravan of death
Caravan of Death
The Caravan of Death was a Chilean Army death squad that, following the Chilean coup of 1973, flew by helicopters from south to north of Chile between September 30 and October 22, 1973. During this foray, members of the squad ordered or personally carried out the execution of at least 75...
," which was tasked with killing political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s and other "enemies" of Pinochet.
Los Zarpazos del Puma was banned by the Pinochet government when it was first released. However, black market copies were widely sold on the streets of major cities, such as Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, despite the ban. The book became, perhaps, the most widely read in Chile's history.
Nearly all of the claims that Verdugo put forth in Los Zarpazos del Puma was later verified as factual and correct as the result of an investigation by Chilean Judge Juan Guzman
Juan Guzmán Tapia
Juan Salvador Guzmán Tapia is a retired Chilean judge who gained international recognition for being the first judge to prosecute former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet on human rights charges, after Pinochet's return to Chile following more than a year of house arrest in London, in...
, who prosecuted Augusto Pinochet for the murder of opponents.
Death
Patricia Verdugo died of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on January 13, 2008, at Catholic University Hospital in Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
.